State v. Prince

520 So. 2d 778, 1987 WL 1196
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 4, 1987
DocketCR87-97
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 520 So. 2d 778 (State v. Prince) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Prince, 520 So. 2d 778, 1987 WL 1196 (La. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

520 So.2d 778 (1987)

STATE of Louisiana, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Charles Hudson PRINCE, III, Defendant-Appellant.

No. CR87-97.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

November 4, 1987.
Writs Denied February 26, 1988.

*779 Lee Gallaspy, Lafayette, for defendant-appellant.

Robin Rhodes, Asst. Dist. Atty., Lafayette, for plaintiff-appellee.

Before DOMENGEAUX, DOUCET, and LABORDE, JJ.

LABORDE, Judge.

On January 11, 1985, defendant, Charles Hudson Prince, III, was charged by grand jury indictment with second degree murder, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:30.1. On June 2, 1985, a jury of twelve unanimously found the defendant guilty of manslaughter. Defendant requested a delay in sentencing which was granted. The court ordered a pre-sentence investigation. On August 16, 1985, defendant was sentenced to twenty-one (21) years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence pursuant to LSA-R.S. 14:31 and LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 893.1 and an additional two (2) years at hard labor to run consecutively *780 without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence pursuant to LSA-R.S. 14:95.2. Defendant was granted an out-of-time appeal on November 24, 1986. Defendant appeals his conviction based on three assignments of error.

FACTS

The victim, Carla Bouche, also known as "Tasha", had worked as a dancer and "B" drinker in a club in Lafayette called Dillinger's. In late December of 1984, she called the owner of the lounge, Don Gautreaux, and asked him to come pick her up in Beaumont, Texas. Tasha had been fired from the club previously but wished to return to work because she feared for her life in Texas. Mr. Gautreaux drove to Beaumont, picked up Tasha and brought her to the home of Shelby Dixon (who was using the alias of Shelby Tolino while in Lafayette) and Patricia DaCosta (also known as "Ski")—two employees of Dillinger's Lounge.

The next night, Tasha returned to Dillinger's and resumed her job as a dancer and "B" drinker. During the course of the evening, she became extremely inebriated and pulled a knife on some of the girls and Mr. Tolino in the dressing room. Later in the evening, Tasha threatened Mr. Tolino and had a fight with Ski. Mr. Tolino gave Ski a motorcycle timing chain which Ski used to hit Tasha. However, after the fight, Tasha was not noticeably injured.

After the lounge closed at 2:00 a.m., there was an employee's meeting and then everyone left with the exception of Mr. Tolino, Ski, Tasha, and the defendant who was employed as a bartender at the lounge. After having a few more drinks and playing pool, Mr. Tolino and Ski left in his car and the defendant and Tasha left in the defendant's car in the early morning hours of December 30. Before leaving, defendant took a shotgun case out of the trunk and placed it in the front of his car. He then told Mr. Tolino, "I'm going to take care of her."

Later that day, Tasha's body was discovered near the intersection of La. 733 and Kaliste Saloom Road in Lafayette Parish by a local resident, Kermit Steward. He immediately notified the authorities and upon examining the scene, two twelve gauge shotgun shells were found. Almost the entire brain of the victim had been blown out by one shotgun blast at close range.

Apparently, Tasha had been beaten severely before her death by a blunt instrument and suffered a broken jaw and a facial fracture. Only a few shotgun pellets were recovered from the victim's body.

After seeing news reports of the death, two local residents came forward with information. Both testified as to having seen a man and a woman standing beside a red Lincoln Continental at the intersection of Kaliste Saloom road and La. 733 early that morning. Only one of the two witnesses could identify the defendant as being one of those individuals. Each witness got the impression that the man and the woman they observed were engaged in an intense conversation, possibly arguing.

Mr. Tolino testified that around 9 or 10 a.m. on the morning of December 30, the defendant arrived at his house to return Tasha's clothes and asked Mr. Tolino to take a ride with him. The defendant told Mr. Tolino that he had killed Tasha.[1] Together, they disposed of Tasha's purse, which has never been found. Mr. Tolino stated that he threw the purse off of a bridge when told to do so by the defendant as he feared for his safety.

The next day, Detective Ben Miller went to Dillinger's to speak to the owner. He noticed a red Lincoln Continental outside matching the description of the car that was seen by the witnesses. Upon questioning Mr. Gautreaux, he learned that defendant owned the car and a twelve gauge shotgun. After the defendant was pointed out, the detective realized he matched the description of the man, and defendant was arrested. Upon his arrest, defendant was *781 advised of his Miranda rights but then made selective statements to the detective. A search warrant was obtained to search the residence of defendant's stepfather, and a twelve gauge shotgun was recovered along with boxes of shotgun shells.

Chris Henderson, the firearms expert called by the state, testified that the shotgun shells found at the scene had been fired from the shotgun found at the defendant's house. The shotgun was not examined for fingerprints due to an oily film on the surface of the shotgun, indicating it had recently been cleaned. No usable fingerprints were found on the interior or exterior of the car.

The defendant's theory of the case is that after the fight between Tasha and Ski, Mr. Tolino placed a "mickey" in his drink, rendering him unconscious. He maintains he was asleep at the bar while the murder took place, and that a conspiracy had been formed between Shelby Tolino, Don Gautreaux and Detective Ben Miller to frame him with the murder of Carla Bouche ("Tasha").

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1

The defense argues that the prosecuting attorney committed reversible error by using defendant's exercise of his privilege against self-incrimination to refute the defendant's trial testimony. The defense cites two instances where the prosecutor referred to the defendant's refusal to make a statement.

The first instance occurred during the direct examination of the investigating officer, Detective Miller. The exchange reads in pertinent part:

Q. And did he indicate he would talk to you?

A. Spontaneously, he held back and did not say anything; and I asked him at that point if he understood his rights, and he stated that he did understand his rights.

Q. Did you ask him any questions?

A. I asked him where was the shotgun that he had showed Mr. Gautreaux.

Q. What did he say?

A. He stated that it was at his house, and he rephrased that and said at his stepfather's house at 1002 Montrose.

Q. Did you ask him about the car?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What did you ask him about the car?

A. I asked him if he owned the red Lincoln Continental that was parked in the parking lot.

Q. What did he reply?
A. Yes, he did.
Q. What did you do in response to that?

A. I asked if he would consent to a search of the vehicle and of the residence.

Q. What did he say?
A. No, he would not.
Q. What did you do next?

A. At that point I placed Mr. Prince under arrest.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
520 So. 2d 778, 1987 WL 1196, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-prince-lactapp-1987.